#20 - I'M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME - Diana Ross and the Supremes and The Temptations (1969) Motown What a combination these two made at the close of the decade! (In fact, you'll catch The Supremes listed on TEN of today's Top 20 Tunes ... and The Temptations on three others!)

#19 - YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON - The Supremes (1966) Motown

#18 - I HEAR A SYMPHONY - The Supremes (1965) Motown

#17 - MY GIRL - The Temptations (1965) Gordy

Is there a more famous opening bass line in the history of rock and roll?

#16 - FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder (1968) Tamla

#15 - I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - Gladys Knight and the Pips (1967) Soul THIS title appears TWICE in The Top 15! (What a MONSTER hit it was!)

#31 - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) - Jr. Walker and the All-Stars (1969) Soul These guys made the countdown with both their instrumental AND their vocal hits!

#30 - I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations (1968) Gordy

#29 - Do You Love Me - The Contours (1962) Gordy

Dirty Dancing anyone??? C'mon ... I carried a watermelon!!!

#28 - I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1967) Tamla

#27 - Back In My Arms Again - The Supremes (1965) Motown

#26 - Reflections - Diana Ross and the Supremes (1967) Motown

Their first release with Diana Ross' name out front

#25 - Shop Around - The Miracles (1961) Tamla Motown's first Million Seller. (Typically Berry never told his artists ... and refused Gold Record Certification ... he didn't want any of his stable knowing how much money they were really making! Apparently, not even his brother-in-law!!! What a guy!)

#24 - Dancing In The Street - Martha and the Vandellas (1964) Gordy

#23 - Love Is Here And Now You're Gone - The Supremes (1967) Motown

#22 - The Happening - The Supremes (1967) Motown

#21 - I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder (1967) Tamla To this day one of my all-time favorite Stevie Wonder songs!

The Top 20 are right around the corner ...Be sure to stop back tomorrow when we finish the countdown!

Remember, the Motown Label encompassed any number of subsidiary labels ... including Tamla, Gordy, Soul ... this special look back salutes the ENTIRE Motown Family of Artists and Labels as they boomed out of our radios back in the 1960's.

And now, the countdown continues ...

#80 - A Place In The Sun - Stevie Wonder (1966) Tamla Stevie Wonder held down the #81 and #80 spots with these "middle-of-the-road" classics ... he wouldn't really grow into his own until the early '70's ... but you will see some defining moments of greatness from the late '60's as this countdown continues.

#79 - (I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations (1966) Gordy Motown's own Rare Earth would have a big hit with this a few years later. (Motown artists often remade their own hits ... one more way to keep the money "all in the family"!!!)

#78 - Can I Get A Witness - Marvin Gaye (1963) Tamla

#77 - If I Could Build My Whole World Around You - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1968) Tamla

#76 - My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) - David Ruffin (1969) Motown A solo hit by the troubled Temptations singer, released between stints with the group.

#75 - Friendship Train - Gladys Knight and the Pips (1969) Soul

#74 - Nowhere To Run - Martha and the Vandellas (1965) Gordy

#73 - You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells (1962) Motown Best known for her chart-topping hit "My Guy", Mary Wells was already recording hits for the label a few years earlier. This was one of them.

#72 - Don't Mess With Bill - The Marvelettes (1966) Tamla A Forgotten Hit in the true sense of the word. A GREAT track that EVERYBODY knows ... we guarantee you that you'll be singing along with this one ... yet radio continues to ignore it today.

#71 - I'll Be Doggone - Marvin Gaye (1965) Tamla

#70 - Quicksand - Martha and the Vandellas (1964) Gordy

#69 - Mickey's Monkey - The Miracles (1963) Tamla

#68 - Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day - Stevie Wonder (1968) Tamla

#67 - Here Comes The Judge - Shorty Long (1968) Soul For the most part, Motown took their releases VERY seriously ... it was a competitive world out there after all. But in 1968 they just couldn't resist releasing a novelty track to cash in on the hit television series "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In".

#66 - Baby, I Need Your Loving - The Four Tops (1964) Motown The first countdown chart appearance for Levi Stubbs and Company ... but definitely not the last. (You'll find their two biggest hits near the top of the countdown!) Another Johnny Rivers remake charter.

#65 - If You Can Want - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1968) Tamla

#64 - Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations (1966) Gordy In hindsight, one of the most popular and best-known tracks ever released by the label.

#63 - Pride And Joy - Marvin Gaye (1963) Tamla

#62 - You're All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1968) Tamla

#61 - The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations (1964) Gordy This was their big break-through hit in 1964.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

I'm really looking forward to this countdown. I
actually enjoyed Motown, " The Sound of Young America", as it was branded, more
than the Beatles. Probably because it pre-dated the Beatles in popularity by a
number of years but I thought it was, for the most part, easier to dance to.

I'd rate it a 98!

Danny

No doubt about it, Danny ... this music crossed all borders ... EVERYBODY
loved these hot, new sounds coming out of Detroit ... it had a beat we hadn't
heard before ... and it took the world by storm.

This week we'll be presenting the Best of the Best, '60's Style ... so
stick around! (kk)

Let The Countdown Begin!

#100 - Every Little Bit Hurts - Brenda Holloway (1964) Tamla

#99 - I've Passed This Way Before - Jimmy Ruffin (1967) Soul Older brother of David Ruffin, long time lead singer of The Temptations

#98 - Ooo Baby Baby - The Miracles (1965) Tamla The sweet sound of Smokey Robinson ... and a hit all over again years later for Linda Ronstadt

Marvin Gaye had duet hits with a number of different Motown female partners, including Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, Mary Wells and Diana Ross. He actually got his start as a session drummer for the label before he ever sang a note. Once he did, over 50 Motown Chart Hits followed.

#92 - What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One - Mary Wells (1964) Motown

#91 - Try It Baby - Marvin Gaye (1964) Tamla

#90 - (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need - The Temptations (1967) Gordy

The Isley Brothers had been around for awhile prior to landing at Motown, recording hits for a variety of record companies including "Shout" for RCA and "Twist And Shout" for Wand. Before they left Motown to score their biggest hits for the T-Neck Record Label, these guys waxed this timeless classic.

#83 - All I Need - The Temptations (1967) Gordy

#82 - These Eyes - Jr. Walker and the All-Stars (1969) Soul

A soulful remake of the then recent Guess Who hit.

#81 - Blowin' In The Wind - Stevie Wonder (1966) Tamla

Here's Little Stevie doin' Dylan!

More tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... as the countdown continues!

NOTE: Forgotten Hits Subscribers received news updates via email today in addition to a reminder about today's website countdown posting. Not a subscriber but don't want to miss a thing? Just drop us a line at forgottenhits@aol.com ... and write "Subscribe" in the subject line ... and we'll add your name to the list!

Monday, October 7, 2013

As promised, here is another one of our very special '60's Countdowns, this
time spotlighting The Top 100 Motown Hits Of The '60's.

The Sound Of Young America captured the hearts of teenagers from coast to
coast. It didn't matter if you were Black or White ... this was a brand new
sound with a fresh and vibrant beat that took on a life of its own as "The
Motown Sound".

Weekly, a panel of label executives would meet and listen to and critique
their latest recordings, trying to determine as a group which songs would be the
most successful radio hits. As such, these playbacks were often listened to through a car radio speaker ... because that is where most of the kids
would be hearing these songs for the first time ... and thereafter on a regular
basis.

Who would have ever thought that this much talent could grow up on the
streets of Detroit ... man, what a roster ...

The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Martha and the
Vandellas, The Marvelettes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Supremes, The
Temptations, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder ... these
acts RULED the charts during the 1960's and 1970's.

This week we'll be spotlighting that initial decade. The very first Motown
release to become a hit was "Money" by Barrett Strong in 1959 ... and they just
kept coming from that point on.

Founded by song writer Berry Gordy (who borrowed the money ... $800 ... to
start the label), Hitsville, U.S.A. became an international success. British
Artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five and others
would often successfully record their own versions of Motown Hits, paying homage
(and hitting pay dirt) time after time again. Even 20 years later artists like
Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor kept the Motown Sound alive with remakes that
charted throughout the '70's and '80's. Today ... some 55 years after that first release, "Motown:
The Musical" is playing on Broadway, a virtual celebration of the music that
played such an important role in our lives.

This week we salute Motown - The '60's ... as we count down The Top 100
Motown Hits of the '60's. Stay tuned!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

re: BABY BLUE: LOTS of talk this past week about the series finale of "Breaking Bad" ... and the use of the 1972 Badfinger Hit "Baby Blue" in the final scene. In fact, reaction was SO good that the song actually started charting again ... some 40+ years later! (I'll bet I got over 50 emails talking about this last week!)

Sadly, we missed the boat on this series. (There are only so many cable dramas one can watch ... so we never started this one.) Sounds like our loss ... by all reports this was one heck of a series ... and, from the sounds of things, a very satisfying ending. (Guess we'll be catching up after the fact!)

Here are just a few of the comments we received:

First in was FH Reader Tom Cuddy who sent this online article from Entertainment Weekly:

Last night’s Breaking Bad finale brought about plenty of surprises — especially for Joey Molland, the guitarist and sole surviving member of the British power-pop band Badfinger. As you certainly know by now (and if not, SPOILERS AHEAD), the group’s 1972 hit “Baby Blue” pointedly soundtracked the episode’s final scene, and the song has since shot up the charts (and seen a 9000% stream increase on Spotify) accordingly. We called the 66-year-old Molland at his home in Minnesota to catch up and ask him about his thoughts on the whole thing.

EW: Did you know beforehand that “Baby Blue” was going to be used in the finale?Joey Molland: No. It’s a Peter Ham song, so Pete’s estate and the record label, publishing house — they’d communicate with them about it. So we had no idea it was going to happen. I was actually just catching the end of the show, really. I was working around the house all day, packing up stuff for the Goodwill, and just doing mundane stuff like that. I caught the last, like, ten minutes of it, where the guy gets shot and all that. My youngest son watches it. I’m not really a big TV guy, to tell you the truth. I had an idea of what it was about, and I knew that last night was the last show in it — it’s all anybody’s really been talking about the last few days or week or so. So, yeah, it was all good.So what was your reaction when your heard the song come on during the scene? Well, I was really surprised! [laughs] The song sounds great — I’ve always liked the record myself. It’s one of my favorites, for sure. It was a big hit for us, too. So it was great to hear it. And I’m glad they used our version of it and not a recut of it. It’s great, you know? Today it’s in the charts, and yesterday it was kind of like an oldies record!Are you anticipating a new generation perhaps discovering Badfinger for the first time?Well, it’d be nice! It’d be lovely to start selling a lot of records again [laughs]. But you’ve got to take these things as they come, you know? It could be just a big flash in the pan. But it’s certainly exciting, and I’m thrilled to be dealing with it. People getting interested in the band and the music is just great. Who knows, maybe people will start looking at Badfinger records again.And you’re still touring, right?I do shows as Joey Molland’s Badfinger. I’ve been doing that for years. I’m the only Badfinger guy left! I just came back from Japan — I did a couple of concerts in Tokyo. And right before that I was in England. This weekend I’m going to Panama City in Florida to do a big festival down there with Grand Funk [Railroad] and Cheap Trick and that stuff.Are you preparing yourself for a lot of “Baby Blue” requests?Yeah, well, when we do a Joey Molland’s Badfinger show, we always do all those hits. We still do ‘em in the same keys, actually. And we open the show with it, actually — it’s such a great little number.What’s next on the horizon for you?I’ve got a new record coming out. It’s coming out on Gonzo Media Group. It’s called Return to Memphis. I think it’ll be out in November, late November. We’re just finishing up the liner notes now. I’m looking forward to it. It’s quite different — different from any record I’ve ever made myself.

In the final moments of the series Breaking Bad, the song Baby Blue by 70's rockers Badfinger plays as the main character reflects on his life. That single play has provided the song with a huge surge in both streams and sales. According to Spotify, the streaming of the song is up 9,000% since last night and, per Billboard, sales of the song are up 3,000%. Baby Blue is currently in the iTunes top twenty and will most likely make the Billboard Hot 100 next week, the band's first entry on the chart in 32 years.Baby Blue was Badfinger's fourth and final top twenty hit in the U.S., reaching number 14. It was the second hit from their album Straight Up after Day After Day; however, the record company didn't use the album version, instead choosing to remix the song with a heavy reverb on the snare drum.
The song had previously appeared in the Oscar winning film The Departed.-- Vintage Vinyl News

BADFINGER --- The story of the week so far has got to be the great, late, Apple Records group Badfinger. Their song, “Baby Blue,” musically closed out the last episode of AMC’s Breaking Bad this past Sunday. The first line of the song said it all: I guess I got what I deserved. And, 10+ million viewers too!The song was officially released in March, 1972 on the Beatles’ Apple Records and was inspired by Badfinger frontman Pete Ham's ex-girlfriend Dixie Armstrong. "Baby Blue" became the group's final Top 20 single, peaking at Number 14 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. The song, which made an appearance in Martin Scorcese's 2006 film The Departed, was the second single off the band's third album, Straight Up (which Rolling Stone senior writer David Fricke called one of Apple Records' Top Five Albums), following "Day After Day.” Though dozens of writers have written about this incident, few got the facts about the group right at all. One noted TV writer hardly mentioned the group at all! First off: the group was formerly known as The Iveys, and were actually signed to the label by Paul McCartney. Macca then gave the group one his songs, “Come And Get It,” which they recorded and was used in the film The Magic Christian, starring Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers. The song became a minor hit but served to fully introduce the group to the world. Their third album, Straight Up, was a co-production of sorts by George Harrison and Todd Rundgren. Harrison had to leave with Ham, for his Bangladesh concert in 1971 (Ham played with Harrison on his song, “Here Comes The Sun”), so, the Runt finished up the production. That album was the group’s highlight for sure, as “Blue” was joined by “No Matter What” as well as “Day After Day” in becoming chart hits. Despite their considerable success, Badfinger had management problems; by two men which we'll dub the Two Stans who withheld royalties from them (I know one of them!). Pete Ham hung himself; as did Tom Evans bringing an abrupt end to the band. There was a terrific documentary on the group in 1997 that presents a fascinating look at the band. Adds Tony King, who was at Apple during those halcyon days, "They were sweet guys. Pete Ham was very quiet and shy and the wrote one of the greatest songs ever 'Without You,' made famous by Harry Nilsson and later, of course by Mariah Carey. Todd Rundgren rescued the album which had this current song, Ringo gave them their gold record for 'Without You' in my office." Joey Molland continues to tour as Badfinger to this day. A sad, sad story about a great, great band.G.H. HardingTimes Square GossipClick here: Times Square Gossip: THE X-FILES 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CD

You'll find our interview with Burton Cummings mentioned in this same piece!

Speaking of which ...

re: BURTON CUMMINGS: The kudos keep coming as more and more people discover our Burton Cummings Interview, now permanently posted on The Forgotten Hits Website:

Cool that you liked the Burton Cummings show. I really enjoyed your interview as well. I guess that fact we saw the Guess Who (with Cummings and Bachman) 12 years ago was a good enough experience for me, as I never saw them before. Keep doing what your are doing - you serve a righteous purpose.

Keep in touch about the Rascals if you are going to the show. Bob Yep, that's the next biggie ... we REALLY want to see that show. Ticket prices are WAY up there ... but there'll most likely never be another chance to see them ... so we're trying to work it out. (kk)

Hi Kent,
So you got the chance to meet and visit with Burton Cummings after the show? Wow, what a just reward for all of your hard work. It's always nice, when you meet an artist whose work you have long respected and find out they are a nice down-home person. You will never forget that experience ... glad it was everything you had hoped for! Thank-you for all of your time, energy, expertise, and knowledge in the publication of Forgotten Hits.
Best Regards,Tim Kiley

Hi, Kent,

Marti Childs and I are followers of Forgotten Hits. It's so obvious that this is your labor of love. It's superb, and somehow you find ways to make it better and better. Your interview with Burton Cummings was excellent. You asked insightful questions, obviously engaged him in the conversation, and elicited fascinating responses.

Best regards,

Jeff March

That's high praise indeed, Jeff, knowing all of the artists that you have interviewed for your on-going series of books "Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone". (Check out the Amazon link below ... these are EXCELLENT portraits of some of the most important artists that shaped the musical landscape. So far the first two volumes have concentrated on the music of the '60's ... but my understanding is that Volume 3 will move into the '70's for the first time. Jeez, who better to profile for that than The Guess Who!!!) kk

I can't wait to hear your review, Kent. It's absolutely amazing the different way people see things or in this case ... hear things. The difference of opinions from Steve Sarley and Mike De Martino is most interesting. Stacee

Particularly as it pertains to the opening act Et Tu Bruce'. I had the chance to visit with both of these guys that night and got the same vibe. Personally, I found myself a bit indifferent to them ... they weren't who I came to see and while I found their act tolerable and catchy enough, there wasn't anything there that spurred me to go out and buy something to hear more. This has not been the case with several other "unknown" opening acts I've experienced over the years. But the truth is I was dying to see The Zombies, as I'd never seen them live before and had heard that this "comeback tour" was quite good ... and Burton Cummings ... whose voice I have LONG been a fan of (for nearly 45 years now!) I've seen Burton at least a dozen times during that period and still have to put last Friday's show as one of his greatest performances ... he was TOTALLY in his element and was digging the vibe coming back from the audience every bit as much as WE were digging seeing him perform. (kk)

Kent,

I was also at the Zombies / Burton Cummings concert Friday night and I can only agree that it was amazing. When I first saw tickets on sale for Burton I was interested but when I also saw him with the Zombies (with Rod and Colin) it was a no brainer. It was an unbelievable night of great old Zombie songs ... but to my amazement they introduced a 'new' Zombies album that I was not aware of, Breathe Out, Breathe In. It certainly peaked my interest and I immediately downloaded it from ITunes. I can only say that it is the most incredible album I've heard in some time. I agree the title track is definitely Steely Danish. (The 'Play It For Real' track has a Beatles 'Hey Bull Dog' feel.) If you want a 60's feel from a fresh album I highly recommend it. Loved the contrast between Rod's one-handed keyboard playing as apposed to Burton's. More on Burton with your next blog but he was amazing as well. Was looking forward to meeting you at the concert but remembered I don't know what you look like! Take Care and keep up the good work,Bill PWoodstock, ILLOL ... well I ran into quite a few Forgotten Hits Readers at the show ... and am always interested in visiting with others who are into the same things we're into. You'll find my picture at the bottom of the blog page (scroll down) ... so next time be sure to stop by and say hello! (kk)

Hi Kent -

Great to read the reviews ... Colin and Rod have been on my radio show separately four times each.

>>>For me personally "Breathe Out, Breathe In" sounds a lot like a Steely Dan track ... had I not known any better and heard this song unannounced on the radio, I absolutely would have thought, "Hmm ... not a bad new Steely Dan single" (kk)You're right Kent -- the vocals sound very much like Steely Dan, although the instrumentals are not as electric sounding.

Danny

Scroll down to read our reviews of the concert ... you'll find The Zombies posted last Friday (October 4th) and The Burton Cummings Show posted on Saturday (October 5th)

re: OTHER SHOWS:

Hi Kent - The New Colony Six played in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Sunday night. They did a great job. They are playing a few more of their flip sides and garage tunes. A medley of Chicago band hits of the 60's was very good as they included: Gloria, Sugar and Spice, Bend Me Shape Me, Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song), and Vehicle. Ray, Bruce, Rick and the guys are getting better with age! Phil - WRCO They really revamped the show a few years ago after being invited to perform at Cave Stomp in New York, a tribute to all of the early garage bands and punk bands that have peppered the music scene for the past 40-50 years. They've got one of the deepest catalogs of all the '60's Chicago bands, with 16 local chart hits. The die-hard fans remember this stuff anyway and it gives them a chance to mix things up a bit on stage without having to focus so much on the ballads. (kk)

Hey Kent.
Greetings from sunny Laughlin, Nevada!
It's been a few months since I last checked in with FH (back in May), so I thought it was high time that I returned with a long-overdue update from the CO river, where our sizzlin' summer (literally, with daytime highs of 115 or more and overnight lows in the 90's) was a red hot hit parade, and the fall is already heating up.
The summer kicked off with a bang on June 1 with a totally kick-ass FOREIGNER concert at the Riverside Hotel's Outdoor Amphitheater. The band was in rare form and rocked it hard in a hit-filled 90-minute+ set that had fans on their feet and dancin' on their seats through the whole show. Here's a fan video of the band rockin it out with their hit "Urgent."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVge0R1FHhsThe following weekend rocked on at the Edgewater Hotel's E-Center with an unexpectedly awesome show from REO SPEEDWAGON. I was blown away by what was a truly excellent show from this truly resilient (and legendary) super-group! Kevin Cronin's lead vocals were spot on and the entire band was instrumentally stellar for the entire set. The house audio mix was superb -- about the best this old audio engineer has heard since this Laughlin venue opened two and a half years ago. The sound was so good that at times I thought it had to be a pre-recordedtrack! This concert was a real surprise treat, and I highly recommend you catch this show should the tour rollthrough your area!Here's a video from the show ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEbbZTlo4WMHere's a link to the show's set list. (The site has a search feature to find set lists to thousands of other concerts in its archives): http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/reo-speedwagon/2013/e-center-edgewater-casino-laughlin-nv-5bd9eb88.htmlThe next weekend featured shows from LOVERBOY and THE SPIN DOCTORS. I was out of town and missed these shows, but heard from a friend that the Loverboy show was great. I returned to town just in time to catch country superstar MARTINA McBRIDE perform at the E-Center on June 22. What a seasoned pro she is and her band is fantastic! Loved every minute of this sold out concert. Highlight of the show for me was a really great medley of the Cat Steven's-penned "First Cut Is The Deepest" and one of my favorite Tom Petty songs "Free Fallin" Check it out.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj8WqDMudGQThe summer sailed on with shows from BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY in July and the GIN BLOSSOMS plus American treasure WILLIE NELSON in August. Didn't make it to the Gin Blossoms show but did catch Willie. Sorry to say that this show didn't knock my socks off. I have the utmost respect for this American treasure and admit that he has nothing to prove to anyone at this stage of his life. But the artist is most definitely showing his age now. Many of his performances were less than memorable. Check out this review from a show earlier this year which echoes my own take-away from the show.http://blogs.mcall.com/lehighvalleymusic/2013/06/willie-nelsons-age-shows-but-so-does-brillance-at-sands-bethlehem-event-center.htmlStill (as noted in the review) there were moments of brilliance (particularly his renditions of "Georgia On My Mind" and Steve Goodman's classic "City Of New Orleans") and it was really a thrill -- and honor-- to see this living legend perform.
Summer on the river ended on high musical notes with three great concerts in September. Perennial rocker TED NUGENT returned to Edgewater's E-Center on Labor Day weekend, where he, once again blew out the venue's walls -- and the ears of everyone in attendance! Another country mega-star, CLINT BLACK, performed to a sell-out crowd at the Riverside Amphitheater on September 14 and perennial southern rockers LYNARD SKYNARD played out the summer in yet another sold-out show at the E-Center that had us all singin' Sweet Home Alabama all night long! Gotta love these guys! Here's a video clip of the opening song of the set, "Last Of A Dyin' Breed" shot from a seat close to the stage ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78UhodmZBVAWe most definitely had a huge helping of "hot fun in the summertime" here on the river! And there's no cool-down on tap. The heat is on and the hits just keep on comin' for the fall. It all starts this weekend with shows from 60's / 70's faves WAR at the Tropicana Express Hotel, 38 SPECIAL at the Avi, THE OSMOND BROTHERS (minus Donny) at the Riverside Hotel and current country heartthrob KIP MOORE at the Edgewater Hotel's E-Center. And that's just the beginning. Here's more of the cool shows coming up over the next couple of months:
BILL MEDLEY - October 9-13 at the Riverside Hotel Celebrity Theater
THE LETTERMEN - October 15-20 at the Riverside Hotel Celebrity Theater
TOBY KEITH - Saturday October 19 at the Laughlin Amphitheater
GLADYS NIGHT - Friday October 25 at Harrah's Rio Vista Amphiteater
BRETT MICHAELS - Saturday October 26 at the Riverside Hotel Amphitheater
DAVID SPADE (COMEDIAN / SITCOM STAR) - Saturday November 2 Edgewater E-Center
JAY AND THE AMERICANS - Sunday November 10 at Harrah's Fiesta Showroom
TOWER OF POWER - Monday November 11 at Harrah's Fiesta Showroom
SMOKEY ROBINSON - Saturday November 30 at the Edgewater E-Center
Okay it ain't Vegas, but it's home to me ... and maybe now it's kind of obvious why I'm lovin' it here in Laughlin! I'd love to see any of you who decide to visit us here in the "Branson of the West." Stay tuned for details about holiday and winter shows as they are announced!
-- Joe Klein

re: PAUL SIMON: Got a question you're dying to ask Paul Simon? Later today (4 pm Central Time) Paul will be sitting down with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Paul Muldoon as part of The New Yorker Festival to discuss Paul's song-writing career and upcoming career retrospective box sets. You can post YOUR question through Facebook or Twitter using the hastag #AskPaulSimon ... and Paul Muldoon just may ask it during this 90 minute special ... tune in to hear Paul Simon answer it live on stage! The live 90 minute broadcast kicks off at 5 pm Eastern Time / 4 pm Central Time TODAY and you can listen in live through www.PaulSimon.com! (kk)

Oops! Did nobody even notice that
"Hungry Heart" is on here twice?!?!? (kk)

We've been totally digging the new ABC Television Series "The Goldbergs" ... kind of a "Wonder Years" for the '80's. What makes it exceptionally cool are the REAL video clips that Adam Goldberg took when he was a kid of his own family that typically close each episode of the show. It's a lot of fun. (When I used to watch "The Wonder Years" I could totally relate because Kevin Arnold was, for all intents and purposes, living MY life during that era ... there were SO many similarities and experiences that I felt touched on numerous occasions. What I like about "The Goldbergs" is that in the '80's I was raising my OWN children ... video cameras were brand new and we felt the need to document everything! This is a fun show that now touches me on a completely different level ... watching these parents "letting go" as their children are getting older is a "feel good" sad to which I can also totally relate.) Highly recommended so far (we're two episodes into the season ... and it IS available "On Demand" as well as online if you'd like to catch up.)

And the age-old debate continues ...

Hello Kent,Another
action-packed issue of Forgotten Hits -- "so much interesting content, so little
time" 60's music comments, 10 super-songs at the end, and after having spent 40
years in radio I was so glad Forgotten Hits addressed the "elephant-in-the-room"
subject of the state of radio today. Though my sentiments were all mirrored in
others' comments it was just nice to hear what people currently think of what is
going on in the industry. My brother, who was also in radio told me 15 years
ago "Tim, radio as you know it is dead". Little did I know at the time he would
be right. It took awhile for the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to shake-out
but shake-out it did. Terrestrial radio's response to the internet, satellite,
i-pods, and various other competition seemed to be exactly the opposite of what
it should have been. Rather than "live and local" it's knee-jerk reaction was
cost-cutting and voice-tracking. We now have rampant syndication on news-talk
-- so you get to hear the same people on 5 different stations throughout the day
-- if you love George Noory and Red-Eye Radio you'll have no trouble finding
them repeatedly across the dial late-night. The larger the market you are in,
the more local-live talent you may be treated to in the key shifts otherwise you
may be hearing someone "rollin' the hits" from a distant state that knows
nothing that is going on in your town. For an experiment call your favorite
radio station at Midnight some night and see if anyone answers to take your
request -- you might want to call in a pizza right before you call -- odds are
it'll be delivered before they answer -- and you better eat your pizza slowly
because you'll want to make it last until breakfast because if you are listening
to a music station, I'll bet you a dollar to a doughnut that no one will
answer. And they wonder why terrestrial radio listener-ship is down. The
low-power FM's are a whole other story in themselves.But on to "happy-talk"
-- I really loved your "10-in-a-row" of 60's hits from October 1st of 60'-69'.
Just a few comments on them:1) So Sad - Everlys -- don't you miss the "fat"
sound the studios captured -- great guitars and it almost sounded like they used
a stand-up bass.2) My True Story - The Jive Five -- definitely in my
top-five songs of all time -- "hard-to-top do-wop!"3) You Belong To Me -
The Duprees -- a very respectable cover of the Jo Stafford hit.4) Sally Go
Round The Roses - The Jaynetts -- a song that cost $60,000 to produce,
exorbitant for 1963.5) It Hurts To Be In Love - Brill Building Co-Writer
Howard Greenfield also wrote Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Love Will Keep Us
Together.6) The In
Crowd - Ramsey Lewis Trio -- also a great hit for Dobie Gray.7) Black Is
Black - Their lead singer, Mike Kennedy had a solo hit in 1972 called Louisiana.
8) I Dig Rock And Roll Music - Peter, Paul, & Mary -- a great
impression of the Mamas & Papas.9) 1,2,3 Red Light -- though I always
liked Simon Says, this is the one that got the most requests of the two.10)
Hey, Little Woman - Bobby Sherman -- a big teen-idol that went on to become an
ambulance-driver.Keep up the GREAT work Kent!Cheers,Tim
Kiley

re: AND, SPEAKING OF RADIO:

Hey Kent,

Still catching up on FH lately, but
you mentioned something recently that really gets me - the '25 - 54 year old'
market. And what about the rest of us who are a little older than that?
Apparently we don't matter except when they're trying to sell hearing aids or
Depends! I think I speak for an awful lot of folks in that 'forgotten' age who
still spend a lot of money, still are working and want to keep current, and are
really turned off by that write-off. How do we get to the advertising community
(and programming directors) and make them realize that we haven't just retired
to the swing on the porch (although I do love that!) but we're still out there
and want to be part of life? Whether it's radio or just shopping, etc. in
general, give us some of what we want, too! Sorry, just had to let it out.
Thanks, and I also want to thank my friend Murray for doing such a great job in
getting 'our' bands out at some of the town festivals the last few years -
everyone from BS&T to Three Dog Night to the Cryan' Shames and New Colony
Six. I hope it can continue in the future.

Marlene

On a related note, you might enjoy this article
sent in by Ron Smith last week ... also questioning that "target" demographic
...

In The Eye of the Beholder 2

October 3, 2013

If I showed you the average age of
the audiences for three historic radio brands, what would be your
prognosis?

Station A 57.8

Station B 53.3

Station C 50.8

You would probably tell me that all
three are over the “demographic cliff,” that they’ve already aged themselves out
of most major media buys, and that they’re probably in deep trouble.But they’re not radio stations,
they’re TV networks – CBS, ABC, and NBC, to be precise – and they’re anything
but troubled. In fact, you could make the case they continue to be in great
financial shape.Now Fox and CW are younger,
positioned in the early 40′s. And all five networks compete hard for 18-49
viewers. But the fact is that they are viable, vibrant networks in spite of the
fact that for the so-called “Big 3,” their average viewer is a Baby
Boomer.They also continue to crank out new
programming at an amazing clip. Not all of it works, of course. In fact, most
new shows don’t make it. But that doesn’t stop the TV networks from innovation,
risk-taking, and creativity because they all know that having something new to
talk about is paramount for both consumers and ad agencies.Now segue over to radio, and let’s
take a look at why the model is so different. We have allowed advertisers (at
least on the national front) to trap us into the 25-54 center. As a result,
marketing dollars targeted under 25 or over 54 go elsewhere – mostly to digital and
television.Think about the base of advertisers
that are truly looking to reach Boomers. Drug companies are a great example.
There is an endless reservoir of commercials for every conceivable drug, and
it’s virtually impossible to turn on a TV and not bump into several.Boomers
buy half of new cars
sold, and as our research has clearly shown, they have an even stronger
propensity to purchase or lease “connected cars.” But again, we’re not selling
and they’re not buying.It’s not there’s a lack of 50+
dollars. It’s that there’s a lack of positioning by radio that we’re a viable,
efficient, and effective way to reach them. They are the least digital of the
generations, which translates to making them the perfect target for
radio.We often talk about radio’s need to
go after more digital dollars, and if any company understands the potential and
the reality of that space, we do. But it’s also a fact that there’s an
incredible market for gray hairs with money to spend on a wide array of products
– if we had the courage and foresight to go after them.Instead, we spend more time “fixing”
our formats to make them more 25-54 compatible. And in the process, we hurt our
brands and walk away from dollars at a time when a recovering economy and
Boomers with
cash could power
radio to double-digit growth.Imagine that.

Noted radio expert Gary Theroux responds to the
above article by Fred Jacobs: Fred Jacobs, of course, has spent
more than 20 years proving himself as not just an clear-eyed observer of radio's
triumphs and tragedies but an insightful insider who truly knows what he talks
about. His latest column marks yet another underscoring by a key pundit of
something that most veteran broadcasters know intrinsically but those in power
positions in so much of today's radio remain steadfastly oblivious to. Part of
that, of course, is that most of those currently in power are in their 20s and
30s themselves and immersed in a youth obsessed pop culture which deeply values
the trendy over the timeless and the new over the excellent. Such broadcast
leaders feel that their only way to survive in such a flash-in-the-pan
disposable pop environment is to continue to worship the purported desires of
the vaunted under 34 demographic (or whatever the hypemeisters DESIRE or
CLAIM the under 34s are in to). The facts that the younger demo is NOT
listening no matter how much they're pandered to -- and instead REJECT the
robotic straightjacket approach to programming most U.S. stations currently
employ does not help anyone very much. It's mind-boggling to see so many
stations in the same market all pile on the same small slice of the demographic
pie while ignoring the largest piece -- where most of the cherries are! Going
after the enormous, growing, cash-rich and largely overlooked 35+ demo -- where
most of your potential listeners and their money is -- was the chief reason for
my 20 years of massive sales success compiling, annotating and marketing CD box
sets for Reader's Digest. While the major labels felt lucky to sell 5,000
units of a box set at retail over a fairly long sales period, our marketing
department (which I never felt was anywhere as aggressive as it should have
been) routinely sold several hundred thousand copies of a given $40 to $60 box
set in a single very limited mailing to that very hungry 35+
demo.

I wish I was handed the programming
reins at a New York metro station. I'd create a compelling mostly goodtime
oldies mix with engaging personalities, sparkling spontaneity, a ton of listener
interaction and a whole lotta fun 24/7 -- where the listener is king. The
best kind of radio, as you know, pulses with life as it forms the soundtrack of
your day --- and after driving home at night and pulling up to your garage door,
you shut the ignition off but then click the RADIO back on. Why? Because
you're afraid that if you don't, you're going to MISS SOMETHING GREAT. When was
the last time you heard THAT kind of vibrant, dynamic radio? THAT'S the stuff
that makes radio VITAL in people's lives -- not as background noise but as
forefront, satisfying entertainment they'll return to time and time
again.

And, needless to say, when they're
listening that avidly, they're also hearing the spots -- maximizing their
potential for every sponsor.

WLS was like that in the late '60s;
WCFL and KFI in the '70s. (Hmm. I wonder what the common link was at THOSE
stations.) Yes, it's not the '60s or '70s now, but the same kind of listener
loyalty those stations generated then can be re-kindled and re-tooled for now --
and possibly EASIER today than then. Why? Because so much of your soundalike
contemporary competition has abandoned -- in favor of
"one-size-fits-all-even-though-it-really-doesn't" cookie cutter content -- a
station's single greatest asset: its ability to carefully mold itself to and
truly fulfill the distinctive wants, needs and desires of its target demo IN ITS
HOME MARKET.

Herb and Lani have been doing some shows
recently, including one at The Hollywood Bowl that also featured Sergio Mendes
... now how's THAT for a double bill?!?!? (kk)

Doors fans will want to get their hands on this
one ...

EAGLE ROCK
ENTERTAINMENT IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE DOORS R-EVOLUTION

PREVIOUSLY
UNRELEASED AND RESTORED FOOTAGE OF THE DOORS
UNVEILED

~SOUND
REMIXED AND REMASTERED BY BRUCE BOTNICK~ ~DECEMBER 3,
2013~

New York, NY
(October 3, 2013)-- Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the
release on December 3, 2013 of R-Evolution from The Doors
on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Formats. [Pre-book order date November 8, MSRP
$14.98 DVD, $19.98 Blu-ray]

Combining early TV appearances with The Doors’ own music
films,R-Evolution illustrates
how the band evolved from the constraints of mid-sixties television to a point
where they had the creative input and power to shape how they were portrayed on
screen. From an unknown L.A. band creating early music films to an established
worldwide phenomenon executing creative control over their celluloid persona,
R-Evolution shows the growth of The Doors from being forced
to accept the formulaic television approach to taking control of the medium.
It’s all in the title – the evolution of a band that helped revolutionize the
way rock bands promote their
art.

R-Evolution brings together a wealth of previously
unreleased footage of The Doors. This incredible release features the
classics “Light My Fire,” “People Are Strange,” “Hello, I Love You,” “Crawling
King Snake,” “L.A. Woman,” “Moonlight Drive,” “Break On Through (To The Other
Side),” and many more.

R-Evolution boasts a wealth of excellent bonus
features, including a commentary by Doors members John Densmore,
Robby Krieger and the late Ray Manzarek plus Bruce Botnick
and Elektra Records Founder Jac Holzman. Additionally there is a
performance of “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” from the Isle Of Wight
Festival 1970, a 45-minute documentary entitled “The Doors – Breaking Through
The Lens,” and “Love Thy Customer,” a never-before-seen 1966 Ford training film
with music by The Doors. Finally, the DVD has a section of outtakes from
the band’s appearance on the US TV show Malibu U in
1967.

In addition to
the DVD and Blu-ray, a Deluxe Edition is available on each physical format,
packaged in a 40-page DVD sized hardback book with a “scrapbook” style
presentation on each track including lyrics, background info, trivia and
photos. All footage has been carefully restored to the highest standards and
the sound has been remixed and mastered for 5.1 by Bruce Botnick [MSRP $39.98
Deluxe DVD and $49.98 Deluxe Blu-ray].

Throughout
R-Evolution, the unique charisma and talent of The Doors
comes across, whether it be on a lightweight pop show or on a film created from
their own imaginations, along with some of the most influential music ever
made.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and
distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media
in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top
quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries,
including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck,
U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award
winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and
over 90 gold discs worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in
London, New York, Toronto, Paris and
Hamburg.

Los Angeles, CA - As word began to
circulate about William Shatner’s newest musical project, the prog rock concept
album Ponder The Mystery, critics and fans quickly realized it was a
match made, if not in Heaven, then in the most glorious reaches of the galaxy.
Shatner is after all an enormously popular and celebrated icon of science
fiction fantasy, and no musical genre is as invested in, devoted to or driven by
fantasy and the imaginative as progressive rock. And though Mr. Shatner is no
stranger to the musical world, what sets this effort apart from previous
endeavors is the fact that he co-wrote the album, penning a set of intensely
personal lyrics for producer / multi-instrumentalist Billy Sherwood (of the prog
rock institution Yes) to compose around. And now, after months of puzzled
rumors, probing questions and ponderous speculation, the album is finally ready
to be embraced by the general public; it will be released on CD, vinyl and
digital formats October 8, 2013.

Joining the two Bill’s on this
journey into the mysteries of human curiosity and consciousness is a group of
virtuosos from numerous genres and fields, including guitarists Steve Vai, Al Di
Meola and Zoot Horn Rollo, keyboardists Rick Wakeman and the late George Duke,
saxophonists Dave Koz, Edgar Winter and Nik Turner, as well as The Doors’ own
Robby Krieger and country legend Vince Gill. Many of these artists leapt at the
opportunity to contribute to Mr. Shatner’s venture, such as Steve Vai who
performs on the album’s eponymous single, and declares, “It was an absolute hoot
to play on Bill’s track. It’s great to see and hear that after all these years
his contributions are still fresh!” Longtime friend Vince Gill contributed
acoustic guitars and mandolin to the album and shares this: “I’ve known William
for awhile and have worked with him on one of his previous charity events. It
was so cool for me to play on his new album. Overall, it really means a lot to
be part of projects that William is doing at this point of his life. William is
a special person and I really enjoy any chance that I get to work with
him.”

Saxophonist Dave Koz offers this
assessment of the project: “What I love most about this album is that it feels
like all the musicians were in this big top - a sort of three-ring circus…you
have all these talented people, each bringing their unique offering to the
table. Then there’s Bill, the ring-leader, with a big smile on his face,
inspiring us all to bring even more to the party. It was a blast, and I love the
way it turned out. Unlike anything I’ve EVER done before. But then again, that’s
what working with an icon will get you!”

Finally, Rick Wakeman sums things
up nicely: “I’ve never adhered to the assumption that oil and water don’t mix
... stir them hard enough and add a few other ingredients and they certainly
will mix, and give an interesting and pretty unique result too. So I’m all for
Progressive Shatner Rock and it was a pleasure to play on the album and be
involved!”

Tracks include:

1. Red Shift

2. Where It’s Gone ... I Don’t Know
feat. Mick Jones

3. Manhunt feat. Simon
House

4. Ponder The Mystery feat. Steve
Vai

5. So Am I feat. Al Di
Meola

6. Change feat. Rick
Wakeman

7. Sunset feat. Joel
Vandroogenbroeck

8. Twilight feat. Edgar
Winter

9. Rhythm Of The Night feat. Nik
Turner

10. Imagine Things feat. Vince
Gil

11. Do You See? feat. Edgar
Froese

12. Deep Down feat. Robby
Krieger

13. I’m Alright, I Think feat. Dave
Koz

14. Where Does Time Go? feat.
George Duke

15. Alive feat. Zoot Horn
Rollo

William Shatner will be performing
his new record Ponder the Mystery in its entirety accompanied by the prog
band CIRCA: featuring Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, famed keyboardist also known
for his work with YES.

www.rockdiscography.orgwww.rockdiscography.orgThis application presents the
essential Rock Music discography (1000 discography, 12,000 screenfulls, more
than 35,000 record covers and their track listings). This unique iconographic
encyclopedia lists the totality of visuals, LP first!! and CD of course by
favoring the country of origin of the artists and the concerned groups.
These discographies, are accompanied
with their musical links (Solo albums of the musicians, artistic collaborations,
etc.) as well as the foreign editions (titles, different covers). The major
albums to begin a collection are highlighted. Zooms on the striking covers of
the rock music history, allows to visualize completely the artistic aspect of
the latter. Designed to be accessible to all, this work which requested 10 years
of research will serve as reference to all amateurs and professionals of rock
music. This self explanatory application can be consulted by the rockers
worldwide.

Kennedy Center Opera House, Ann Wilson and
Nancy Wilson of Heart performed Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" with Jason
Bonham on drums.

The performance of "Stairway to Heaven" began
with Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart performing the song with a backing band,
which included Jason Bonham on drums. He is the son of Led Zeppelin drummer John
Bonham, who passed away in 1980. As the song progressed, back-up singers, a
string section, and the Joyce Garrett Youth Choir came on stage to help perform
"Stairway to Heaven".

The choir members and Jason Bonham were wearing bowler
hats, which was a tribute to the band's late drummer John Bonham. Throughout the
performance lead vocalist Robert Plant was noticeably moved, and towards the end
of the song he had tears in his eyes.

Jason Bonham loved the fact that
Led Zeppelin didn't know he'd be drumming on Stairway To Heaven at their Kennedy
Center tribute night, hosted by US President Barack Obama. Bonham performed with
Heart and an all-star band -- and the first Plant, Page and Jones knew of it was
when they saw him walk on stage.

He said: "It was so incredible to
see their faces, sitting there next to the president. The guys knew who was
playing -- but they didn't know I would be on drums. Their faces lit up, and the
smiles and tears ... It was fantastic. What a way to close the
show!"

We were watching this live the night it happened ... a
VERY moving experience that deeply touched the band. (Pretty amazing how much
they've humbled over the years, isn't it?) I cannot help but wonder if they were too emotionalto go back and trash their hotel room afterwards! (lol)
kk

re: NEXT WEEK IN FORGOTTEN HITS:

It's another '60's Countdown ... and you won't want to miss this one ... The Top 100 Motown Hits of the '60's!!! It all kicks off tomorrow ... hope to see you here!

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